Recycling has taken on an increasingly important role in product life cycles, particularly in the area of polymer recycling. In spite of a number of advances, challenges remain in recycling fundamentally incompatible waste streams. The carpet industry, for example, has developed ways of separating waste streams by removing face yarns from the woven primaries and filled polymeric backings. These separations are rarely complete, leaving the issue of using mixed streams of recycled materials that are not compatible. These mixed streams typically involve combinations of: Nylon 6, Nylon 6,6, homopolymer polypropylene (PP), polyethylenes (PE), other miscellaneous polyolefins (ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), etc.), polyurethanes, vinyl acetate emulsions (VAE), styrenic block copolymers (SBC) and other types of latexes, polyesters, as well as fillers such as CaCO3 and coal fly ash. Several mixes of these materials are described in EP 0719301 B1. Similar issues are expected in the artificial turf arena which has more limited mixes of the above materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,897,689 relates to functionalized interpolymers derived from base olefin interpolymers, which are prepared by polymerizing one or more monomers or mixtures of monomers, such as ethylene and one or more comonomers, to form an interpolymer product having unique physical properties. The functionalized olefin interpolymers contain two or more differing regions or segments (blocks), resulting in unique processing and physical properties.
US Patent Application Publication No. US2010-0093942 relates to polyolefin blend compositions of polar and/or non-polar polymers, with at least one functionalized polyolefin polymer selected from the group consisting of: amine functionalized, hydroxyl functionalized, imide functionalized, anhydride functionalized, or carboxylic acid functionalized polyolefin polymers. Also disclosed are methods for making the functionalized polyolefin polymer and materials and articles containing at least one component prepared from such compositions
U.S. Pat. No. 7,622,529 relates to olefin interpolymers as compatibilizers, which are prepared by polymerizing one or more monomers or mixtures of monomers, such as ethylene and one or more comonomers, to form an interpolymer product having unique physical properties. The olefin interpolymers contain two or more differing regions or segments (blocks), resulting in unique processing and physical properties.
WO/2011/041696 relates to block composites and their use as impact modifiers; WO/2011/041698 relates to block composites in soft compounds; and WO/2011/041699 relates to block composites in thermoplastic vulcanisates.